NFL to look at Tom Brady's kick-slide; Brady apologizes to Reed

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Writer

January 22, 2013 12:44 PM ET

Will this kick-slide cost Brady money? (US Presswire)

As you can see in the photo above and the GIF below, Tom Brady went spikes-high in the AFC title game against Ravens safety Ed Reed as he slid, a move that safety Bernard Pollard called “bull crap.” Now, according to CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman, the NFL will study the play to see if Brady needs to be disciplined.

Take a look at the slide in real time to determine if you think Brady's kick at Reed was intentional. Well, it looks intentional. The question, I guess, is whether it was malicious, or if the Patriots quarterback who has since apologized to Reed simply was trying to defend himself.

Pollard thinks it's the former.

"You've got to keep them legs down," Pollard said, via CSN New England. "You've got to keep the legs down. We all know and understand what's going on there. And as a quarterback, when you go to slide, we're taught ... we can't do anything … [Brady] knew what he was doing. It has to go both ways. Hopefully the NFL will do something about it. If they don't, that's fine. If they do, then that's fine."

Brady, though, also apologized to Reed.

"You know, I understand Brady's point," Reed told WJF-FX, via NFL.com. "Him protecting himself. I know he's a great player. I respect Brady and his game for all it stands for, and I know he's not a dirty player. And emotions get going in the game.

"I told him -- you know, we talked. We talked actually not too long ago, we talked on the phone. He actually reached out to me, texted me. I tried to text him back, but the message exploded after 12 seconds, so I had to call him ... and he's just apologized and what not. But I told him, 'You know, it's good, man.'"

Honestly, it would be a bit of a surprise if the NFL decided to fine Brady. But consider this: When Detroit's Ndamukong Suh did something similar earlier this year (similar in that we couldn't tell if his kick to Matt Schaub's groin was intentional), the league fined him $30,000.

And sure, Suh has had previous disciplinary problems, while Brady has been squeaky clean. But without some kind of acknowledgment that Brady did wrong, the league likely will further alienate the NFL's defensive players who already feel that the offensive stars are playing by a different set of disciplinary rules.